LEXINGTON — Russell County's Nathan Lawson faced the daunting task of trying to contain one of the top offensive line-ups in the state on Thursday at Kentucky Proud Park. The senior rose to the occasion.
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Lawson allowed just three hits — and no walks — as the #17 Lakers (29-6) topped #14 Madison Central (28-8), 2-1, in the opening round of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association State Tournament.

GEORGETOWN — The first Kentucky High School Baseball Coaches Association/Prep Baseball Report Power 25 Poll of the season was released on April 4. Five teams from the 11th Region were featured in the rankings. Madison Central, however, was not one of them.
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After graduating 12 seniors — six of which get the opportunity to play in college — from a team which lost in the region championship game in 2021, the Indians (28-7) certainly weren't expected to be a much of a threat to make another deep postseason run.

GEORGETOWN — Madison Central senior Matt Johns was warming up the bullpen — and Bradley Poynter knew it. "It looked like he got a little angry at me," Johns said of Poynter. "He came out throwing darts and finished things up."  Poynter did indeed finish what he started.  And did it with flare.

The #14 Indians (25-7) sent 23 batters to the plate in the opening inning of Tuesday's championship game of the 44th District Tournament. Ultimately, 18 of them scored. That was more than enough offense to carry Madison Central to another championship.

LEXINGTON — Bradley Poynter had been preparing for this moment for months. And he was ready.
"I was told at the beginning of the season that I had to go seven innings in the regional — and that's what it came down to," Poynter said. The sophomore rose to that challenge. 

​Poynter scattered six hits as #7 Madison Central topped #10 Frederick Douglass, 8-4, in the semifinals of the 11th Region Tournament on Sunday evening at Lexington Catholic. Senior Nate Storie hit a two-run homer and catcher Tyler Brook drove in three runs for the Indians (31-8).

In the most intense moments of the most important game of the season, Dawson Hall kept one simple thought in his mind. "Just throw the ball," the Madison Central senior left-hander said. Hall worked out of trouble in the sixth and seventh innings against Lexington Christian Academy on Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the 11th Region Tournament at Don Richardson Field. 

The Indians came into the 2020 season confident that they would have a chance to compete for another 11th Region Tournament championship.
And with good reason.
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Madison Central won 27 games the previous year and returned a deep, experienced line-up that included lots of pitching and an offense led by a Division I infielder.